


Memories of Light and Waves

by shes_my_joy



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F, Minor Violence, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:54:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24761914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shes_my_joy/pseuds/shes_my_joy
Summary: Seungwan’s a reticent performing arts major and Joohyun has no idea what that means. Joohyun’s a mermaid, but she’s not what Seungwan thought a mermaid would be like. They’ve met before, but neither can remember how or when. All they know is that everything just clicks when they’re together.A Wenrene mermaid AU inspired by the drama “Legend of the Blue Sea”.*This fic is currently on hiatus but will return soon!*
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Son Seungwan | Wendy, Kang Seulgi/Park Sooyoung | Joy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Day by Day

“Come on Wannie, it’ll be fun! Think of it as like a...last huzzah before finals!” Seulgi exclaimed, grabbing ‘Wannie’s’ forearm and not bothering to wait for a response to her unreasonable requests.

Seungwan let out a long and dramatic groan as she was dragged, very much against her will, out of the dormitories and towards the university’s bus stop. Finals. Her best friend just had to go and remind her of the impending doom looming over their heads. But, Seungwan reasoned to herself, it was pretty hard to forget that test season was coming up in the first place when signs of it were everywhere. Long lines exploding out of the tutors’ offices and exhausted students packing into the coffee shop were a nice reminder that hell on Earth really did exist; it was Jeju National University when finals came around.

“Seulgi, you know we don’t have time for this. And the party’s being hosted by _Park Sooyoung_. We’ll probably be stuck there till sunrise, doing keg stands all night if she has anything to say about it,” Seungwan commented tiredly. There were still too many Quizlet sets left to study, too many terms and formulas and theorems that Seungwan’s sleep-deprived, erratic brain had to memorize. A mansion full of rowdy college kids and a night of drinking wasn’t going to be the most beneficial to their academic careers with the end of the semester close at hand. 

“She wouldn’t make us do that...I don’t think.” Seulgi shook her head adamantly at Seungwan’s accusations, then faltered when she realized that bottomless keg stands sounded like a Sooyoung thing to do, but that was beside the point. “Well, you’ve only met her a few times before. Maybe she’ll prove you wrong.” Seungwan gave her an exhausted look, as if they’d been over the subject a million times but never got anywhere with it. “Seungwan, if you’d just get out of the dorm every once and a while you’d know for sure.”

“Remember Calculus class?” Seungwan raised her eyebrows questioningly, changing the topic rather abruptly before the conversation took an unpleasant turn. She dropped the face once they threw open the doors and the sun’s rays hit her eyes. When Seulgi trugged on stubbornly and refused to meet her gaze, she poked the elder girl in the side. “The class that both of us are in danger of failing?”

After a moment of silence, Seulgi threw her hands up in the air in defeat and turned around to face Seungwan. “Why did we even take that class anyways? We’re art majors for God’s sake. What would a singer and photographer need a Fourier series for?” She pouted adorably at Seungwan, shoulders sagging when the weight of the situation came crashing back down on Seulgi at full force. Apparently the prospect of a good night out had made her temporarily forget absolutely everything concerning school. 

Seungwan shrugged and pinched one of Seulgi’s cheeks gently, the two of them easily falling back into comfortable banter. “Because we said we wanted to challenge ourselves?” It was a pretty awful idea, in hindsight. Seungwan liked to think she was a good student in all subjects, but even she had her limits. Calculus? Way beyond her limits. And Seulgi...well. Seulgi was more free spirited and preferred hands-on learning to the strangely abstract world of mathematics. 

Seulgi babbled under her breath, as if she had just read Seungwan’s thoughts. “It was an awful idea. What are we, insane? I think we’re insane.”

Seungwan laughed loudly at that and threw her arm over Seulgi’s shoulder as they walked. Somehow, Seungwan was able to find comfort in the fact that she wasn’t alone in this and felt her heart lighten, if only for just a little while. “Alright, alright, we can go for a few hours and then it’s back to the textbooks. Deal?” With their combined efforts, they just might be able to make up for the lost study time. And if going to Park’s party made Seulgi happy, then what right did Seungwan have to say no?

Seulgi’s eyes turned upwards into crescent moons as she beamed at Seungwan.

“Deal.”

\- -

The ride to the Park mansion was a short one; only thirty minutes away from the university. It took another fifteen to walk from the bus stop and down a tree-lined side road that led to huge, wrought-iron gates. The Parks were a fabulously wealthy family that lived on Hamdeok beach, one of Jeju’s premiere sights and well-known for its beautiful blue waters. The mansion itself was nestled on a small and secluded peninsula, elegantly rising into the sky and accompanied by vast expanses of flattened beach. By the time they arrived, the sun was just beginning to set and the marbled walls of the building were awash in reds, oranges, and golds. Seungwan decided that she was _maybe_ enjoying the view.

“So you’re telling me that their backyard is a huge chunk of beach and it’s a total no-trespass zone and everything? The city just let them _buy up the land_?” Seungwan gaped comically as her eyes roamed over the three-story mansion in front of them. There was a delicately carved stone fountain sat in the center of the front yard and a ridiculously huge roundabout driveway circling it. And to top it all off, immaculately-trimmed rose bushes lined the approaching pathway. Seulgi laughed and shook her head in response, then reached for the entry buzzer on the gate.

“I guess when your parents are influential real estate agents…? You can do that?” Seulgi trailed off and quirked her brow, as if the vague statement was enough of an explanation. “You make the Parks sound like some kind of evil villains, or something.”

“Well you have to admit that Sooyoung’s kind of terrifying in her own way,” Seungwan quipped, crossing her arms as they waited for someone to come answer.

Seulgi only had time to give her a reproachful look before a familiar smooth voice slurred into the mic on the other side. “ _Congratulations, you’re standing in front of the Park residence, good for you. And who might_ you _be, exactly?_ ” The party was a real rager, if the blaring music and loud crowd in the background was anything to go off of. Instead of waiting for a reply, the voice babbled on in a suspicious tone. “ _You’re not some kind of serial killer are you? Now I’m not opposed to rando party-crashers, but I also don’t want to risk death and-slash-or dismemberment._ ”

Seungwan’s slightly annoyed gaze landed on a security camera perched on the opposite side of the gate, which was trained on them. Sooyoung could see them, couldn’t she? The two of them shared a glance, puzzled.

“...What? No, it’s Seulgi. I brought Seungwan with me.” She pulled the younger girl into her side for emphasis and shot a cheeky smile and a peace sign at the camera.

That seemed to snap Sooyoung out of whatever state of drunkenness she was currently in, because she answered back in a strange, hopeful clarity. _“Seulgi? I’m sure you look very cute out there, but the camera’s broken so I can’t see you. And Seungwan, well that’s_ new.” An amused snort, enunciated by a brief pause. “ _And here I thought she was just a nerdy stick in the mud or whatever. Okay, come on in_ ,” Sooyoung finished brusquely. The buzzer sounded off as the gates swung open, leaving Seungwan no time to voice her offense at that very rude, very true comment. Seulgi’s snickering didn’t help either.

Before they could even reach the doorbell, the front doors were thrown open wide by one giggling Park Sooyoung, who appeared to have slipped back into her drunken stupor. She stumbled precariously around the threshold and was chugging a bottle of soju like her life depended on it. An impressive feat, Seungwan thought, and an interesting way to greet your guests. Now that they were closer, their host had to practically scream in their faces to be heard over the roar of the party and music. “Well if it isn’t my sweet little Seulgi-bear! And Seungwan too, though I’d bet my drink that you’re probably still a serial killer. It’s always the weird ones.” Sooyoung sloshed around said bottle of alcohol before she went to give Seulgi a very clumsy but bone-crushing hug. And then she was settling that mischievous gaze on Seungwan. 

“Nice to meet you too? Is this how you always greet people you’ve just met?” Seungwan began slowly, eyes blown wide. She was more than a little scared of what was to come, if this was how her and Sooyoung’s interactions would go. 

“No. Just you, _Wan-wan_. Since you like to monopolize so much of Seulgi’s time.” Sooyoung wasn't going to ease up on the teasing anytime soon, it seemed. Seungwan's eyes were on Seulgi the second her nickname came tumbling from the youngest girl's lips, but didn't dare to say anything else. It wasn't a secret that she was extra-clingy around her best friend, but it made Seungwan falter. Was she taking up too much of Seulgi's time? “Come on you two, the party awaits.” Sooyoung's head jerked in the direction of entrance. The calm of the outdoors rapidly faded away as they were ushered into disorienting strobe lights that flooded the vast living room currently filled to the brim with warm, dancing bodies. Plastic cups littered every flat surface and the chandeliers overhead shook violently to the beat of the club banger that currently played. Typical college party.

Sooyoung was, according to Seungwan, someone to be careful around. It was a well-established fact that the whole student body associated her name with the words ‘bad girl’, ‘party animal’ and ‘flirt’. She certainly fit the image; dark hair, dangerous eyes and an equally dangerous wardrobe. She was a sophomore at Jeju University who happened to be friends with Seulgi, which Seungwan never quite understood. Seulgi was just so innocent and soft and Sooyoung...wasn’t? Apparently, they became acquainted after Seulgi accidentally spilled paint all over Sooyoung in the hallway. The latter had insisted that the only way to make up for such a grievance was to exchange numbers. Talk about strange ways to start a friendship. But given the way Sooyoung’s eyes kept drifting to Seulgi or how her hands never strayed too far from Seulgi’s waist, Seungwan suspected that there was more to this situation than simple friendship. 

“I'm...guessing your family’s out of town?” Seungwan awkwardly started, withdrawing from her thoughts to survey the crowd Sooyoung had crammed into the house. Seungwan recognized quite a few of them from her classes.

“Duh, obviously, I’m too young to die. What kind of idiot throws a party when their parents are home?” Sooyoung sassed, like her self-preservation instincts were the most obvious thing in the world, despite the questionable levels of soju she just consumed earlier. From what Seulgi had told Seungwan about the girl, Sooyoung was the oldest of three girls in her family and it was her responsibility to carry on the family business, which she had gone along with. Though, for someone who hadn’t complained much about her predetermined career path, Sooyoung seemed less interested in Business Management and more interested in having a good time. “Want anything to drink?” Sooyoung called over her shoulder, pushing through the crowd and leading the two of them to the kitchen.

Seungwan seriously considered the possibility of this night lasting much longer than the few hours she promised to Seulgi. They really needed to cram for that Calculus test. But...maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a sip here and there? “I’ll take a beer, thanks.” Seulgi parroted her request, to which Sooyoung uttered something about Seungwan not being totally lame after all, then rummaged around the messy counters for a bottle opener. Seungwan was content to take a seat at the island and drum her fingers against the granite while she waited.

“Is that a Son Seungwan I see?”

Seungwan’s head jolted, looking around for the source of the voice when a tall man maneuvered his way out of the crowd and to her side. She was met with the familiar face of Suh Young-ho, otherwise known as Johnny. He was in his junior year of college like Seungwan and Seulgi, and majoring in Cinematography. Johnny was a childhood friend of theirs who always made sure to keep in touch, especially after what had happened to the Son family last year. He was an easygoing guy whose hobbies included making horrible Dad jokes and pulling stupid stunts for his film projects. Seungwan remembered seeing an Instagram video of him perched on a shelf in a lecture hall with his camera, presumably trying to get a dynamic shot. It ended with him losing his balance and falling on the floor in an embarrassed heap, his classmates erupting in laughter around him. Johnny claimed it "had to be done in the name of good footage." Despite all his frustrating antics, Seungwan thought of him as a protective younger brother with a good heart. There was never a bad day when Johnny was around to liven it up.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” Seungwan retorted lightly, then pulled out the chair next to her for him to sit on. He waved at Seulgi and waggled his eyebrows discreetly at Sooyoung, as if to say ‘Look! Your crush is here.’ The girl in question came over to smack him hard on the shoulder with a glare, then hand Seungwan her beer. “So,” Seungwan asked, giggling at the exchange, “how’s it going? It’s been a while.” Seungwan felt all the tension from earlier disappear. Johnny's presence just had that sort of effect on people.

“It’s good, it’s good.” Johnny rubbed his shoulder tenderly, still grinning and not at all perturbed by Sooyoung’s thinly-veiled threats. “I would come and hang more often, but you know how crazy it gets this time of year.” He settled into a smaller smile, this one less carefree and more cautious as he eyed her. “And how about you? You doing alright?”

Seungwan knew that look; it was the one all her friends gave her when they were alluding to a particularly sensitive subject. Jokes aside, Johnny’s interactions with Seungwan for the past year had felt like she was walking on eggshells. She doesn’t blame him, really. He was the one who happened upon the accident and called 119. He pulled her out of the wreckage with his own two hands. They hadn’t really talked about it on account of Seungwan’s refusal to do so, and he never pushed her. Instead, it always hung over them. She can’t imagine that Johnny didn’t walk away unscathed that day, either.

“I’ve never been better! I’m just ready for summer vacation to roll around already.” Seungwan quickly replied, taking a sip from her beer. She was careful to lace her voice with some cheerfulness, hoping it would be enough to satisfy Johnny. It wasn’t, she could see it right away in his eyes. He was about to say something when Sooyoung’s melodious laughter drifted over from across the kitchen. The two of them watched as Sooyoung leaned against the counter with all her attention on Seulgi, who was in the middle of recounting a funny story from her Photography class.

“...and then he just opens his mouth, and like two rolls of film come tumbling out! Byulyi and I had no idea what to do with him, so we just stood there.”

“No fucking way!”

“I’m serious!”

Johnny and Seungwan laughed at the little exchange. Seungwan was happy that Seulgi had taken a liking to someone, even if she still had her doubts about said person’s dubious behavior. But she couldn’t deny that her best friend looked even happier than she usually was.

“Oh! That reminds me!” Johnny suddenly exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “Seungwan, about summer vacation.” He paused, waiting for her attention. When she nodded eagerly, happy that he’d changed the subject, he continued. “Why don’t we round up the gang and go on a hike one of these days? There’s this beach down south that’s got a really pretty waterfall. And some sweet cliff-diving spots too.” He nudged her shoulder conspiratorially at ‘cliff-diving’, knowing that Seungwan could be just as much of an adrenaline junky as himself.

“That sounds…really nice, actually. Sure, why not? I’ve been meaning to ask you for ideas about a summer trip anyways.” Seungwan smiled pleasantly, which quickly morphed into a mischievous smirk as she nudged him back. “The usual suspects coming along too?”

“Yup. So that’s you, Seulgi, probably Sooyoung too now that they're, you know--" Johnny flailed his hand in the direction of the two girls across the kitchen, "--me, Mark, and Jaehyun.” He counted off his fingers thoughtfully. “And anyone else that wants to come, I guess.”

Seungwan clapped her hands together. “Perfect!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome all to my first fanfiction! This AU idea popped into my head randomly one day, and I thought it would make for an entertaining read. Chapter 2 is coming very soon, and you can expect it to be way more eventful than this one, now that most of the introductory exposition is out of the way. I can't promise that updates will be on a super regular schedule, since I'm figuring the story out as I go and spending a lot of time editing. Anyways, hope to see you around!


	2. The Sound of the Ocean

Sometimes, alcohol was fun to indulge in. It helped Seungwan feel like her problems were far away, at least for a little while. When she and Seulgi would crack open a few beers and watch cheesy movies on the couch together, alcohol was fun. There were other times when it fueled Seungwan’s brooding and the churning bitterness just beneath the surface. Sometimes it made her feel like embarking on dangerously fun adventures. Unbeknownst to Seungwan, tonight’s drinking was going to set a whole series of bizarre events into motion.

\- -

The hours passed by quickly as Seungwan and Johnny talked about anything and everything, from their struggles in school to their shared excitement in the newest Persona game, which was set to be released soon. When the partygoers began to thin out, Johnny bid the girls farewell to go catch up on some late-night studying. By some miracle (it was really at Seulgi’s request), Sooyoung had finally relented from her teasing of Seungwan and let her be. She was even surprised when her keg stand predictions never came to fruition. Instead, she learned that the youngest girl wasn’t nearly as wild as she previously suspected.

Seungwan mostly kept to herself, occasionally chiming in to the other girls’ conversation when called on. Her thoughts consisted of casually reaffirming her and Seulgi’s sealed fates, that catchy arpeggio from Advanced Guitar class, and the cliffhanger from last week’s episode of a drama she was watching. Was that chaebol really the protagonist’s father? She would be finding out soon enough.

She was busy humming a fragment of a ballad when she chanced a cursory peek in Seulgi and Sooyoung’s direction, finding the two embroiled in a hushed discussion. Sooyoung had forgone any further drinking to oversee the end of the party; Seungwan was surprised at how quickly she sobered up. Seulgi had been nursing the same beer all night, likely to avoid embarrassing herself in front of Sooyoung. 

Seungwan downed the last of her third beer and got up abruptly from her seat. The alcohol had worked its way through her system steadily, leaving her pleasantly tipsy and in the mood for a change of scenery. A glance at the clock on the wall told Seungwan it was 2 AM on Sunday. Some voice at the back of her mind helpfully reminded her that the Calculus final was on Tuesday.

“I’m gonna go for a little walk, I’ll be back soon,” Seungwan called over her shoulder as she staggered just the slightest bit towards the back door. That seemed to draw the other girls out of their heated whispering, because they both looked over at her with some concern.

“Do you want us to go with? There was a storm a few days ago, Seungwan. The tides are rougher than usual.” Sooyoung glanced out the kitchen window to confirm that the waves were bigger and more aggressive. It was in the dead of night too. Definitely not the best time to go wandering around, and certainly not while Seungwan was inebriated, but people didn’t call her reckless for nothing.

“No, it’s okay. I won’t go far. And besides, you two lovebirds look like you have some _important things_ to discuss.” Seungwan smirked widely between the two of them, then ducked for cover when Seulgi came to smack her on the head.

“Wannieeee!”

Sooyoung just smiled enigmatically and accompanied Seungwan to see her off, drifting across the room with considerably more grace. “Hey, so, it’s not like I care what you do or anything, but mind the tide pools and cave if you’re heading in that direction.” She opened the door, poked her head out, and nodded to the west. “They get real slippery and dangerous. Actually, maybe it’s best if you just stay away all together. You’re so tiny, you’ll get swept away easily.” Sooyoung looked her up and down, eyebrows arching in clear disapproval.

Seungwan let out an undignified whine, offended. “I’m not _that_ short!” 

Sooyoung swiped a hand through the air over Seungwan’s head and grinned smugly. “Uh-huh. Whatever you say, shorty.”

“I think you’re just freakishly tall, Sooyoung,” Seulgi wisely offered before she was promptly swatted on the butt.

“You’re supposed to take my side on this! And like everything else too.”

Seungwan grimaced. These two were really doing this now, right in front of her salad? Since Sooyoung conveniently mentioned dangerous tide pools and caves earlier, Seungwan was definitely going to go in that direction. “Well anyways," She interjected confidently into their banter, egged on by the alcohol no doubt, "there’s nothing to worry about. I can handle the big spooky waves.” In a show of bravado, Seungwan slammed the door behind her dramatically, effectively ending the derailed conversation. 

So, Sooyoung was good fun to be around, despite all her sass. 

She took a moment to deflate and regain her equilibrium, leaning against the door for a few moments. After absentmindedly running a hand down the wood, she concluded that it was very nicely made. An astute observation, Son Seungwan.

Shrugging off her flip-flops, Seungwan sank her feet into the cool sand with a heavy sigh. The beach had long since been plunged into darkness, save for the pale moonlight that rippled across the ocean and blanketed the earth in its eerie rays. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, enjoying how the cold air burned her lungs; it was a nice change of pace from the stuffy inside of Sooyoung’s home. 

Guided only by the moon and faint outlines of rock formations in front of her, Seungwan began her tread along the coast. The sky was beautifully clear that night, probably due to the wonderful lack of light pollution. They were far enough away from the city that the haze didn’t amount to much. For once, there were more stars in the sky than Seungwan could count on her fingers, so that was saying something. Even some glow from the Milky Way’s bulge was visible. She made a mental note to thank Sooyoung on account of her family’s eye for prime real estate.

She continued on in silence for some time, settling her eyes on a far-off cluster of stars. It had been far too long since Seungwan’s last visit to the beach; college kept her busy and the next best thing was the school’s indoor swimming facilities. They were nice enough, but nothing beat the ocean’s special charm. She had fond memories of boogie boarding with Johnny, late night high school bonfires, and building sand castles with Seulgi to reinforce her love of the sea. Memories she was sure to never forget, though at the thought of her friends she couldn’t help but ponder the hardships they weathered together.

One year. One year and not a single day passed when her friends didn’t worry about her. Her thoughts flit to Johnny’s careful prodding, and Seulgi pushing her to go to the party earlier in the day. As annoying as it could be sometimes, Seungwan was touched. She must have done something exceptional in her past life to be surrounded by such wonderful people. She doesn’t think she’ll ever find the reasons why, but she was grateful all the same. 

Seungwan wanted to dispel their concerns for good, so that it didn’t shadow them everywhere they went and every time they spoke, but she didn’t know how. She felt like she owed them that much. But she was having a hell of a time combating the introversion that prevented her from making any progress in that department. That was her greatest fear: never overcoming it. How long was too long? How long before they stopped caring all together, frustrated by her lack of communication?

She almost had the breath knocked out of her as she was hit with memories of the dreaded topic. Her older sister, who was looking out the window and laughing about something Seungwan said. She still can’t remember what it was. Her parents, who were ecstatic to have the family back together in one place for the weekend. And then nothing. Silence. Johnny’s frantic screaming and his fists pounding on the car door. The blinding white walls of her hospital room. Seulgi’s tears. The bone-deep ache in her body. Why couldn’t she remember?

She certainly didn’t remember climbing on top of the rocks, or even coming across them. Reality quickly descended back upon Seungwan as her watery eyes swept along the tide pools in front of her. She really should stop zoning out so much, it got her into trouble more times than she cared to admit. With how slippery everything was, it could be the death of her, too. 

The rocks themselves must’ve been three or four feet in height and width, bundled together to present a fun little climbing challenge. Each sheltered their own miniature pockets of life and Seungwan was sure creatures crawled in between the cracks, too. Carved into the cliffside a few yards behind the rocks was a modestly-sized cave. It was far enough away so that she couldn’t see much, unless the moonlight shifted at just the right angle. 

She crouched by one of the shallows, careful to keep herself steady lest she fell off. Even here, in this tiny little world encapsulated by sea-hewn rock, life had been thrown into chaos by Mother Nature’s wrath. Hermit crabs were swept along in a strong current and tossed about the pool like leaves in the wind. The long filaments of anemones strained against the water’s ebb and flow. Seungwan prodded one and watched in fascination as it withdrew into itself. 

“You’re kind of like my spirit animal, you know?” She whispered to the anemone, feeling somewhat silly but also feeling the strange need to get this off her chest. “You’re there, you’re open and inviting, but the moment someone tries to get close--like, really close--you pull away. Until they’re gone.”

A brightly-colored starfish lay stubbornly rooted to the floor of the pool. “Johnny’s definitely a starfish. He’s always there. Never strays too far.” The echinoderm was poked experimentally. “Seulgi’s a crab. She takes her time getting places but she never gives up.”

Seungwan’s anthropomorphic musings were interrupted when the glimmer of something lustrous caught her peripherals. She craned her neck towards the source, which was somewhere in the cave behind her. It was a bit faint, but it was there. She took great care to scale back down the wet rocks and land right by the mouth of the cave. Seungwan squinted and trained her eyes on whatever was catching the light. There were scales, a tail…

“Is it...a fish?” If it was, it had to be an absolutely monstrous one. By Seungwan’s estimates, it was maybe five feet long tops, but she couldn’t be sure. The upper half wasn’t reflecting any light like the lower half was. Strange. 

She pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight, then picked her way carefully across valleys of rocks and shallow waters, deeper into the cave. What she saw shocked her right back into sobriety, and right onto her ass.

There, lying on the uncomfortable rock bed and for all intents and purposes asleep, was a beautiful mermaid. At least, that’s what Seungwan assumed she was looking at. She blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. She had to push her jaw back into place from where it was hanging. Any minute now, Seungwan was going to wake up sprawled on Sooyoung’s couch with a mad hangover. Or maybe she finally lost it. 

“Okay brain, it’s been fun and all--I gotta give you credit for conjuring this one up, _real clever of you_ \--but maybe don’t try to give me a heart attack and kill us both!” It was like a scene straight out of a sitcom; Seungwan, rubbing her sore bottom and whispering angrily to herself, all in front of a mermaid who was probably going to wake up with back pain in the morning. “Slipping on some rocks and cracking my skull open in a smelly old cave is not how I want to die, I swear to God!”

Her panicked ranting stopped abruptly at the sound of displaced water and a faint exhale of breath. Seungwan’s head whipped at record speed to meet the mermaid’s frightened gaze. Oh. So she was awake now and heard all of that.

The whole world seemed to pause when their eyes met. She couldn’t hear the tides or the endless echo that bounced around the cave anymore. The howling wind stilled. Everything screeched to a stop. It was just the mermaid, Seungwan, and the beat of her heart.

All Seungwan could think in that moment was how captivating she was.

Now, it was at this point people usually ran away in fear, or maybe called 119 and then ran away in fear. But Seungwan wasn’t most people and she had no cell service anyways. As if in a trance, she hauled herself off the ground and closed the few feet of distance between them.

She must have been down here for days. The mermaid’s skin looked unhealthily pale and there was a bloodied gash running along the side of her forehead. Her long black locks, which Seungwan imagined must have felt silky to the touch, were frazzled and limp. The mermaid shook like a leaf as she tried to prop herself up on her elbows, only just barely managing to succeed. The cave was flooded with enough water to keep most of her body submerged. 

Her eyes. God, her eyes. As soon as Seungwan’s landed on them, it was like a riptide pulled her in and she couldn’t shy away. The dark circles under them spoke volumes to her exhaustion, but her eyes themselves brimmed with vitality. They were the coziest shade of brown Seungwan had ever seen. She could see confusion and wariness swimming in their wide, expressive depths. It reminded Seungwan of the ocean’s chaotic waves, crashing relentlessly against the shore in a steady tattoo. 

But there was something else, too. The mermaid’s eyes weren’t just pretty; they evoked emotions in Seungwan that didn’t quite feel like her own. Intense feelings of elation, regret, longing, love, and heartbreak blindsided her all at once. They felt ancient, like they’d been left to collect dust within Seungwan for so long, only to resurface when she stumbled across the mermaid. It felt like coming home. 

She shook her head and looked away, overwhelmed by the strange emotional rollercoaster she was thrust into and her own brooding from earlier. It was all a bit much. Just as soon everything hit Seungwan, the world whirred back to life and her senses came rushing back. It was the sound of the shallow water receding that drew Seungwan’s attention. The mermaid continued to watch her closely, silently, only to wince sharply and clutch the side of her tail.

It was trapped underneath some heavy stone slabs previously hidden under the water. It looked painful. A pang of sympathy shot through Seungwan as she moved to displace them, but stopped when the other woman exhaled harshly. Her shoulders heaved with shortened breaths, what Seungwan guessed was fear.

“It’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you.” She raised her hands in a disarming manner, voice low and calm. “I just want to help, I promise.” This was crazy, Seungwan was crazy! What if the pretty mermaid in front of her turned out to be like one of the scary ones from Harry Potter? What if her hands got bitten off in her bid to help out a previously-thought-to-be mythological creature? These were pressing questions that Seungwan didn’t have answers to.

At her reassurances, she seemed to relax back into her wary state. Okay, that was good. That was a start. She knelt by the mermaid, hands brushing over the light pink scales running along her tail. It was a pretty shade, Seungwan noted idly. 

It took some effort, but she managed to free the mermaid’s tail from the offending stones. She grimaced at how crumpled and beaten up it looked. Her thoughts seemed to mirror Seungwan’s because she could see clear disappointment in her wide eyes. The mermaid’s fingers shyly brushed over Seungwan’s hand, a quiet sign of appreciation that she was unable or unwilling to offer vocally.

Seungwan’s heart skipped a beat. “Who--” she jolted when their hands touched, but quickly relaxed so as to not scare the poor mermaid. “Who are you? What--is this a dream?” She tried to find something to ground herself, something that would remind her that they were indeed still in the waking world. She focused on the ache of her knees digging into hard rocks, the permeating smell of salt water, and her soaked skinny jeans. “Why does this all feel like deja vu?”

Seungwan didn’t notice she was crying until she felt soft fingers touch her face. They jerked slightly, like the person they belonged to was surprised at their own actions. Then they settled on her cheeks. Seungwan’s eyes shot up to find the mermaid wordlessly wiping away her tears, brow furrowed in concern with just a hint of bewilderment. If any of the weird nostalgia Seungwan felt was affecting her, then she was doing a good job of hiding it.

Her mouth opened and closed, like she was trying to conjure up a thoughtful response to Seungwan’s choppy questions. But she didn’t utter a single word and instead went back to studying the tears running down Seungwan’s face in...awe.

And that, Seungwan supposed, was when the beginning of everything started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally getting somewhere! Thanks so much for the kind words last chapter, they made my day. I'll see you guys again soon! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome all to my first fanfiction! This AU idea popped into my head randomly one day, and I thought it would make for an entertaining read. Chapter 2 is coming very soon, and you can expect it to be way more eventful than this one, now that most of the introductory exposition is out of the way. I can't promise that updates will be on a super regular schedule, since I'm figuring the story out as I go and spending a lot of time editing. Anyways, hope to see you around!


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